Ghetto Palms 78: Creator Riddim / New Spragga Benz / Polyriddimatical Madness
- story Eddie "Stats" Houghton
- photo Andrew Dosunmu (F34)
Last Ghetto Palms I shouted at the devil of prefab dancehall, and this week the universe did shout me back in the form of veteran sessions player and producer Colin “Bulby” York, who released the polyrhythmic spree called the Creator riddim on his Fat Eyes label. Irrational rhythms may be replacing auto-tune as the new trend in JA, at least judging from the Weapon riddim and the new Spragga joint included below, which flips the clicky polyriddim of “Sweet Georgia Brown” (Cf. Brother Bones, Harlem Globetrotters, R. Kelly). This last should not be too surprising, since it’s produced by Salaam Remi whose previous collabos with Spragga include the Acid Hall riddim, a pre-millenium high point in dancehall creativity.
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posted on Nov 4, 2009 in GHETTO PALMS tags Beenie Man, caribbean, Catchdubs, Sizzla, Spragga Benz, Truck Back
Ghetto Palms 77: Mavado + Natalie Storm / Sizzla + De Tropix / Exclusive Refixes
- story Eddie "Stats" Houghton
- photo Guy Martin (F58 outtake)
I cannot tell a lie, y’all. It was not a particularly good week for dancehall. My ears got so sick of trance synths, auto-tune and trap drums they almost walked off the set before I had anything to palmcast. (sidebar: seriously, music dudes of the world—change it up. I have defended auto-tune and I am not on some DOA type purism but please, pick your spots. Rotate your stock. Let that field lie fallow for a season. Give the next piece of gear a bligh.) There would be no joy in ghettopalmsland at all if not for some fresh remixes injecting new shoots into the landscape. Natalie Storm jumped on some tambarzao drums, De Tropix and Shredah whupped some UK biz on Vybz and Sizzla and coupe decale and kuduro are apparently crossing the streams in France of all places. Before I knew it I had a Ghetto Palms Allstar part 2. Which just underscores the philosophy behind this column—a little cross-pollination is good for the soil.
Exclusive Freeload: Dre Skull, “I Want You (Bok Bok Remix)” MP3
- story THE FADER
Brooklyn’s Dre Skull has been rather busy lately, having somewhat detonated the dance/dancehall faction of the internet with his Sizzla-featuring “Gone Too Far.” Now he’s gone and traversed genres with a balloony synth track called “I Want You,” wherein Mr. Skull compresses Shannon Swain’s vox into a robotic crumple. On this awesome Bok Bok remix, most pop traces are sucked into a boomerang of UK funky, anti-gravity bass and soul claps and all. Bonus beat: Bok Bok made a mix for you to download that perfectly captures the interception between American music that just happens to be incredibly bass heavy and UK jams that are actually supposed to be bass heavy.
Download: Dre Skull, “I Want You (Bok Bok Remix)”
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posted on Jun 8, 2009 in MP3 / STREAMS tags Bok Bok, dance/electronic, Dre Skull, exclusive freeload, Sizzla
Exclusive Freeload: Dre Skull f. Sizzla, “Gone Too Far (Buraka Som Sistema Remix)”
- story THE FADER
When we were wee and copping white label UK garage twelves in like, the early oughties, our anxiety at spending entire paychecks in one record-shop excursion always dispersed when we heard the wobbly bass with the tweety (no twitter) treble. We never imagined that 9000 years later, we would be listening to kuduro that reminded us of those days but improved upon them to the umpteenth, yet still had the same vocalist as the garage singles. Sizzla! Jah praise your longevity. This Buraka remix of Dre Skull’s newest joint makes us wish we had a fog machine and energy drink waiter following us around at all times, instead of a camera crew and Adnan Ghalib.
Download: Dre Skull f. Sizzla, “Gone Too Far (Buraka Som Sistema Remix)”
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posted on Mar 26, 2009 in MP3 / STREAMS tags Buraka Som Sistema, caribbean, dance/electronic, Dre Skull, exclusive freeload, Sizzla
Freeload: Tarrus Riley f. Sizzla, “Who’s Gonna Save Us?”
- story THE FADER
Sizzla doesn’t sing in crazy falsetto on this track (crazy falsetto Sizzla is our favorite kinda Sizzla*), but Tarrus Riley does reinforce why he’s one of the most popular reggae dudes in the running: his voice so softly evocative, his yearning and pain audible.
Download: Tarrus Riley f. Sizzla, “Who’s Gonna Save Us?”
*second favorite: Steak
Freeload: Fire Pon Dem Hosted By Sizzla & Mixed By Dash Eye
- story THE FADER
We’re pretty glad that occasional FADER contributor and all around good dude Chris Nelson is blogging again, and we’re even gladder when he posts free mixes by his friends, like this one from Dash Eye, Heavy Manners and Tribe of Kings featuring countless FADER featured artists like Mavado and Collie Buddz (as well as homies like DJ Eleven) and the whole thing is hosted by Sizzla. Free music!
Download: Heavy Manners, Fire Pon Dem Hosted By Sizzla
